Merkel wants to talk to Trump on Iran, trade tariffs at G7

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gestures during a session at the lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany June 6, 2018.

"The annexation of Crimea was a flagrant violation of worldwide law, and therefore Russia's exclusion from the G8 format was inevitable".

The group of Western powers meets in Charlevoix, Quebec on Friday and Saturday amid growing tensions between the United States and its allies after Washington announced its withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear agreement.

The new format was put in place by the coalition that took office in March.

Responding to questions by lawmakers at a special session of the parliament, Merkel said issues that divide Washington and its European partners, including the nuclear deal with Iran and USA trade tariffs, will be among the issues she will raise in her bilateral talks.

She said Germany will work at least to preserve what was agreed on at last year's G-7 and Group of 20 summits on trade and climate.

"For this reason I'm going towards the new Italian government, too, in such a way that we can talk to each other, and we will say that a Euroepan Union is based on respect for the rules on the part of all".

While it lacked the raucous free-for-all quality of the familiar British version of the tradition, Wednesday's session marked the first time the German chancellor has faced members of parliament for a direct interrogation.

"I'm in favor of talks with Russian Federation", she said, "But keeping in mind the differences we have".

She added she would "of course try to speak to the USA president about the current problems that we have overall, in particular on Iran and on trade tariffs".

Merkel vowed to enter the talks "in good faith" but stressed that there must be "no compromise for its own sake" and that a final statement by the host Canada, rather than a joint communique, "may be the more honest way".